Ben Kyle, frontman for Minnesota alt-country band Romantica, decided to take a step back from recording the group’s fourth album in favor of a more personal project: his solo debut Ben Kyle, a compilation of songs that reflect his devotion to his three children (with one on the way) and his wife, Kim. —Emily Mongan
You’ve said that Ben Kyle is more personal than music you’ve previously written, and that upon listening to it your wife said she felt like she was a part of the album. Would you say your music has changed from when you first started out to now that you’re a father?
I would say that the music is always changing as I change and my life experiences change, and as I reflect upon and respond to the varied experiences, emotions, and observations that come with each new season. In this season, I’m very much in the thick of fatherhood and that is definitely reflected on the album.
You recorded your latest album in your home studio. Did your kids ever sit in or check out dad at work?
Sit in or check out? More like commandeer the studio! Young boys tend to have an affinity for drum kits! It’s [also] not uncommon for Roy to interrupt a session with “Dad, can I show Jack my electric guitar?”
You made the decision to stay close to home this time around in order to devote time to your family, instead of taking on a more travel-heavy touring schedule. How difficult of a decision was that to make?
I think it was a very natural decision. I mean, of course you want to be around as your kids are growing up (and of course my wife appreciates the balance). It wasn’t, perhaps, the most obvious or intuitive career decision to make, but convention doesn’t have to dictate your path. Success for me has more to do with quality, sustainability, meaningfulness, and balance than extreme fame or excess wealth. I’m not saying I couldn’t appreciate some of the freedoms that more material success might afford, but if these are my real goals then being able to be home more is actually achieving success!
Talk to me about the last track on your album, The Child. How did your experiences with fatherhood influence this song?
The Child is a song about a number of ‘mysteries.’ How life sustains itself without our help. The mystery of how the soul and personality and body of a child grow to be “wonderful and wild” with us doing very little to make that happen beyond the initial creative act. We don’t control much in the growth of our children’s bodies and personalities; mostly we just watch and wonder as they blossom before us.
“We don’t control much in the growth of our children’s bodies and personalities; mostly we just watch and wonder as they blossom before us.”
